


Trouble

by nightliferogue



Category: G.I. Joe - All Media Types, G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
Genre: F/M, Fluffy, M/M, Some angst, gi joe retaliation, my Snake Eyes is Stephen Amell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-02
Updated: 2013-08-02
Packaged: 2017-12-22 03:48:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightliferogue/pseuds/nightliferogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snake Eyes comes to Roadblock's home late one night to hide out and doesn't leave. His twin daughters are falling in love with him, his mother is taking his side, and for some reason Roadblock can't stop wondering what he looks like under that mask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aware Roadblock has a real name, I just couldn't get into using the name Marvin except for when I needed to. Also my ideal under the mask Snake Eyes is Stephen Amell from the TV show Arrow if you need a visual.

“So…um….this is the couch,” he mumbled, staring down at the couch while not looking at the man beside him,” Not that this is where you’ll be sleeping, I just…” he sighed, laughing nervously, “Sorry this is just weird. I’m not used to people climbing into my bedroom window at three a.m.”

Snake Eyes stood beside him in full gear, his shoulders slumped and from what he could tell, the ninja seemed genuinely apologetic. 

Roadblock put a hand on the other man’s back and said cheerfully, “It’s fine, you need to lay low obviously with all the blood all over your suit and everything.”

Snake looked down at his suit, then back at him. 

“C’mon,” Roadblock sighed, sighing. 

They walked down the hall, passed the girls room, and he paused, looking back again. “This is the girls room, I have…well you know about Madeline and Maria, my twins, they’re six, they…yeah,” he mumbled, continuing on. 

His wife had been dead almost three years already and it still hurt to even mention the twins, remembering when she’d been killed and how much his girls looked like her. She’d been the one to decide on the guest room, which he was always thankful for especially at time like this. 

They started again and he walked into the guest room, Snake following silently after as he explained,” And…yeah, here’s everything. I think there’s some clothes if you…well if you want to change, I know you don’t change into clothes much and…you know what,” he said with a sigh, “I’m going to bed. Night.”

He practically ran from the room back to his own, laying down in the dark and sighing loudly.

Everything would be dealt with in the morning. 

Which was not entirely true, since three hours later he woke to his daughters screaming. He jumped, heading for the guest room where Maria was pointing and yelling out, “Daddy! Daddy!” and Maddy was throwing books off the bookshelf at Snake Eyes, who was still in his gear, trying but failing to protect himself. 

“Girls, stop! That’s Daddy’s friend!” he said, making them both stop and stare at him. 

“Ohhhh,” Maddy said, dropping the latest book she’d grabbed. She walked over to Snake and put her hand on his helmet and said, “Are you a superhero?” 

Snake looked at Roadblock and the other man tried not to laugh. “No, honey, he’s a soldier like Daddy. He…he’s shy, doesn’t like to show his face.”  
Maria walked over frowning deeply as she leaned in, trying to pull at the mask. “Why? What’s wrong with your face?” 

Roadblock winced, “C’mon girls, let’s leave Snake alone.” 

“Snake?” they both said, eyes wide as they stared at the fallen ninja. 

He smiled. “Yes, this is Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes, this is Maria and Madeline.”

Snake bowed his head once and both of his twins looked at him and asked, “Can he talk?”

Roadblock shook his head. “No, he…no, he can’t.”

Madeline threw her arms around Snake and said, “I’m sorry, Mister Snake.” 

Maria did the same and he did laugh then, making the ninja’s head turn and he knew if he could see the other man’s eyes he’d be shooting a glare. 

“C’mon ladies, it’s time for breakfast.” 

His girls scrambled off and he turned back to say, “Shower’s across the hall, and I’m gonna tell my mother that you’re here. She looks after the girls when I’m gone and she…she’ll leave you be. I’ll get you new gear at the pit today, all right?”

Snake nodded once and he left him alone, heading for the kitchen. 

Breakfast for the girls was waffles and he made some of his own, pausing only a second before making one for Snake Eyes as well and leaving it in the bedroom with a cup of black coffee. He’d know the man for years and he’d never seen his face, not once, he knew from others that there had been an accident that left Snake with facial scars but no one knew how extensive. 

No one he worked with had ever seen the man behind the mask and he respected Snake Eyes enough not to parade him around in front of his family, even when the man was clearly invading his territory.

Roadblock got the girls dressed and on the couch watching My Little Pony, then headed for the bathroom to shower. He paused when he saw an empty plate outside the guest room door and smiled. 

“You’re welcome,” he whispered, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. 

_______________________________________________________________________

“So…uh….where’s Snake?” he asked casually when he entered the Pit that very afternoon, checking in on some recon mission Jaye had been sent on with some new recruits, leaving Flint to worry incessantly about her in the meantime. 

“Who knows? Last I heard he was in the city, trying to catch a whif of Cobra from some big arms deal or something? You know he likes to go it alone, man, don’t ask me,” Flint mumbled, checking the feed.

Roadblock frowned and went on another computer, typing in Snake Eyes and coming up with the same answer the other man had given him. 

Obviously something had gone wrong and the man needed somewhere to hide. He wondered what made his home the first place Snake thought to go. 

When he got home, carrying more gear then he’d ever brought into his house ever, and saw his mother in the kitchen at two o’clock boiling rice and making sweet chicken he sighed loudly. “Ma, he isn’t Chinese.” 

She frowned, looking at him. “Are you sure? He’s a ninja, you said he was!”

Roadblock rubbed his forehead and said, “He is, but he…Mom, he’s American, he just was raised in Japan and he…” 

“Marvin Fitzgerald Hinton, don’t you sass me! I’m making the man lunch and he’s gonna love it, just you wait and see!” his mother pushed him out of the kitchen and he went into the living room where the girls were playing with their army toys. He saw Maria had taken a toy and colored it almost all black with what he guessed was permanent marker. 

“Um…Maria honey, who’s that?” he asked with a smile, as if he didn’t already know.

His daughter rolled her eyes. “Daddy, it’s Mister Snake! Duh!” 

Her and Madeline both giggled and started to walk their toys around. 

He shook his head, still smiling as he walked down the hall. The guest bedroom door was closed and he knocked softly. After a minute the door opened and he held up the several bags he’d carried in. “Brought provisions,” he said, causing Snake to open the door fully. 

As always the man was in full gear, and he dropped the bag down. “A couple of undershirts, some regular pants, I don’t…I brought face masks, I know you don’t like showing your face and I…” 

He stared down at the bag, feeling stupid. Of course Snake was going to want every single solitary piece of his gear, and he’d tried to get things that were similar without drawing attention. He sighed. “Sorry I…”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, surprised. 

Snake nodded once, indicated the bag, and held out his hand. 

Roadblock took it and they shook once, tapping fists their normal way and making him laugh. 

“Good?”

Snake nodded. 

“Okay,” he said, walking towards the door, “Oh and just to forewarn you, Mom is making you lunch that you’re probably gonna hate.”

He left the other man with those words, chuckling to himself as he did. 

Turned out, Snake complimented his mother’s food, which he didn’t understand how she knew he liked it but she yelled, “I TOLD YOU!” and kept bragging about it for the next hour before she left thankfully and he could order a pizza. 

“Pizza!” the girls both yelled, jumping up and down. 

He gets cheese, mostly because the girls love anything and so does he but again he knows so little about Snake he doesn’t want to get the wrong thing. When he knocks on the bedroom door and Snake peeks his head out wearing one of the regular facial masks he freezes at the sight of the man’s eyes.

Dark blue. 

Very, very dark blue. 

He stares, he can’t help it, and Snake tilts his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. 

Roadblock swallows, coughing. “Um,” he holds out the plate with two pieces on it, “Pizza?”

Snake takes it and nods once, closing the door behind him. 

It takes a minute for him to get his bearings, and when he goes back into the living room Maddy giggles when he almost falls trying to sit on the couch. 

“Silly!” she says, jumping onto his back. 

He tackles her and Maria jumps on the other side. They roll around and wrestle for far too long after, eventually tiring them both out and as he’s carrying them to their room he spots the plate outside the door with a piece of paper on it. 

THANK YOU.

His smile is bright in return and he’s still smiling as he brings the plate back to wash in the sink. 

On the third day, their house guest comes out for dinner and sits with them. 

They’re in the middle of setting the table, he’s made cheeseburgers because they’re Maddy’s favorite and it’s her turn so as he’s putting the plate of burgers out he notices that both of his daughters are frozen mid-bite, eyes wide at something behind him.

Roadblock turns, surprised to see Snake standing in the doorway. He looks nervous, and he guesses he smelled the food. “Hey Snake, come sit,” he says, like this isn’t the first time. 

He does, and sits between the girls, where Roadblock can watch him without looking creepy. He notices for the first time some scars on Snake’s neck and knows instantly that he must have more on his face. Burns, he guesses by the look of them, and wonders how extensive they are. 

When Snake lifts the mask up to eat he catches more near his cheek, though the man eats so quickly he barely has time to wonder when the mask is down again. 

“So Snake, I…uh…was thinking you could show the girls your…uh…swords?”

Snake’s eyes narrow at him accusingly and the girls both suddenly start talking at once. 

“Swords? Like a pirate? Mister Snake I want to see your sword! Where’s your sword I…” Maddy starts excitedly. 

“Show us your swords! You fight with swords Mister Snake I want to see! I want to see!” Maria finishes, grabbing Snake’s arm. 

Roadblock has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling and when Snake Eyes leaves the room he lets it show, the girls all jumping around excitedly and when he leads them into the living room they all sit and wait. 

Several minutes later he’s almost ready to start thinking the girls are going to be stood up and disappointed when their guest comes into the room in his regular gear, eye covering mask and all, and both of his daughters who normally cannot shut up to save their lives are silent as he begins a demonstration that lasts more than ten minutes but neither girl blinks even once until he’s done. 

He bows elegantly and both of his twins clap. “Yay!” they both squeal and he allows them another jump and hug, much to Roadblock’s surprise before leaving them alone. 

When he’s putting them into their beds that night Madeline asks if she can learn to use swords “like Mister Snake” and Maria cries that she wants to as well until they begin arguing to the point where he has to tell them both if they don’t stop no swords will ever come into his house which shuts them up completely. 

They fall asleep shortly after, sniffling but quiet as he reads and when he enters the hall he finds Snake Eyes standing in the doorway of the guest room wearing the mask that shows his eyes again. The other man is smiling almost smugly, and they stare at each other a full minute before he mumbles, “Shut up,” and shuffles angrily down the hall to his room. 

The next morning the girls wake up to practice swords at the sides of their beds, plastic but just small enough to be safe. Snake joins them for breakfast and watches the girls clash their swords together with pride. 

By the end of the week his girls have stopped calling each other by their names and have decided to go by Pony Face and Rainbow Head, and his mother seems to think it’s adorable. 

“Adorable?” he hisses, glaring at her, “They like him better than they like me.”

His mom laughs. “Oh baby you’re their daddy that’s not true!” 

He frowns, staring back as Maria and Maddy play fight, rolling around seriously and not once giggling. Snake is watching them silently, wearing the mask that shows his eyes again which he has been since the night of his demonstration. 

Snake stops the girls, who look up with almost awe in their eyes and he positions them to different spots nodding once and indicating they begin. 

Roadblock sighs, looking at his mother. “They’re six years old, he’s acting like they’re…” 

“Students?” she said, her eyes dancing. 

He glared. “I’m not…” 

“Jealous of him? Of course not. But if you tell him to stop those little ladies will hate you forever and you know it. They’ve found something they love Marvin, let them love it. And your friend seems to be happy to teach them.” 

He sighs, putting his chin down on the counter and not looking back at his kids again. 

By the time his mother goes home the girls are giggling and coloring in their room while he sits and watches television. Dinner is cooking, spaghetti this time, and he is trying to relax when Snake Eyes sits down next to him on the couch. He sighs. “Hey.”

Snake is silently, obviously, but he nods once and leans back, letting out a breath. 

“I…uh…it’s been a few days, you…gonna tell me what you’re doing here?”

The man tenses, he can see it in the way his muscles change but he stands and leaves the room making Roadblock sigh again. 

He tried. 

He gets up to check on the noodles, which are done, and the sauce, which isn’t, and almost misses the piece of paper as he’s headed back into the kitchen but he pauses and takes it. 

TROUBLE. 

One word. Simple, concise, and so very Snake it makes him laugh. 

Okay, trouble. He understands that. 

At dinner that night he pushes a piece of paper across the table to Snake, who looks skeptical but takes it. He sees the other man’s lips curve into a smile under his mask before Snake nods once and the girls don’t notice the interaction. 

The paper in Snake’s hand when they leave the table says, “OBVIOUSLY. SMARTASS.” 

That night the girls beg for Snake to be the one to put them to bed and he tries not to feel jealous but the other man seems okay with it, so he allows it even though he sits outside their room and listens as his six year old daughters read “The Cat in the Hat” to a ninja. 

When Snake Eyes comes out of the bedroom and spots him there before sitting down on the floor next to him and shakes his head, throwing it back to the room once before meeting Roadblock’s eyes again. 

“No, it’s…it’s okay. I know they love you, I can’t deny them that. Hell I can’t deny most women anything, let alone them,” he mumbles. 

Snake puts a hand on his shoulder and his eyes ask a silent question that he has no idea how he knows but he does. 

“Duke…he used to do…that. Let them read to him. Sometimes it would take hours, but he’d…yeah, they miss him.” 

Snake squeezes his shoulder and stands, wiping off his thighs and looking back at him. 

“The sword thing,” he asks out of nowhere, “You’ve taught kids before?”

Snake nods once, putting his hand down to indicate a tiny person and then raises it to show a big one. 

“All shapes and sizes then?” he asks with a smile. 

Snake nods again. 

“You miss it.” 

The other man pauses, contemplating for a moment before nodding again. 

“I’m glad you’re getting a chance again, and…thanks, for showing them,” he says, standing and wiping himself off. 

When he looks up Snake is staring, but he nods again before almost running to the guest room. 

Roadblock frowns, shrugging to himself and heading for his room. Having one sided conversations is getting easier for him to do, and he doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. 

The ninth day of Snake Eyes living at his house starts with one of the new recruits falling off of the rock climbing apparatus on top of him. 

Her name is Fiona, and she’s a marksman like his wife was which he tries not to compare her to but fails miserably. She’s blonde and blue eyed, peppy and young, and when she very obviously flirts with him he doesn’t even try to stop her. 

He’s always had a thing for blondes. 

If Duke were alive he’d tease him mercilessly and try to make him ask her out which he would blow off firstly because he hadn’t been with anyone since his wife died and secondly because he had fallen in love with Duke Hauser a year after Laticia passed though the man never knew it. He was pretty sure Duke was probably up in Heaven laughing his ass off about it. 

Fiona would have been another one of those nameless few if Duke’s voice wasn’t nagging in his ear, “Dude, ask her out,” and when he does and she says yes, Roadblock almost panics and takes it back but lets her walk away. 

Maybe it’s time to move on. 

He comes home that evening with McDonald’s, and the girls seem suspicious because he only gets them fries when he’s done something wrong but they are too excited by My Little Pony toys to notice. 

That night he and Snake sit on the couch to watch “Hell’s Kitchen” while he explains the show and when he stops midway because he notices the ninja beside him is asleep he can’t help but stare. 

It’s getting close to two weeks and it doesn’t look like the other man is leaving, though it’s weird how quickly he’s carved a spot in their home. The girls are getting eerily good at fighting with their plastic swords, though there have been some injuries mostly when they’re arguing and hit each other in the head with them. They’ve started calling him, “Snake,” dropping the Mister, and he’s the featured attraction in most of their drawings now. 

Not that he’s noticed or anything. 

He stretches, yawning as he notices the time, and he turns off the TV to get a blanket to put over Snake who almost instantly wakes when the fabric touches his body. Roadblock freezes, his eyes wide. “I….uh…you were sleeping?” 

Snake takes the hand he has the blanket in, and pushes him back, skin to skin for the first time ever he can’t help but think, sitting up and leaving the room, quiet as always, and when he goes to bed that night Roadblock tries not to think about how they were almost holding hands.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“So I said, Becky, you can’t do that! And that’s when she…”

About an hour into their date Roadblock is fairly sure this had been a bad idea.

They were sitting in the middle of a pizza place, one of his favorites called “Slice of Life” and he’d long finished eating. The conversation since then had been mostly one sided, though eager, and he was finding himself more distracted than interested but the nagging Duke voice in the back of his head kept pushing him to try. 

It was time to move on.

He’d been repeating the same words over and over again since asking her out two days before, and trying not to wonder if lying about where he was going meant he knew this wasn’t right for him or his kids, but he chalked it up to guilt.

He coughed and said, “You know what, Fiona?” 

She stopped suddenly, taking a breath and smiling, “Oh god, I’ve been babbling haven’t I? I always do that when I’m nervous, it’s one of my WORST habits I feel so, like, stupid right now!” 

Roadblock smiled, putting a hand on her wrist and gently squeezing. “It’s all right, I just saw the time and realized I gotta get home to give my ma a break. It’s late.” 

Fiona’s eyes widened and he felt bad for lying to her, but he needed to cut things short before he decided never to try again. 

They left quicker than they’d come, and when he dropped her off she seemed to be anticipating more than he thought he’d ever be ready for so he just took her hand and smiled before whispering, “Good night.” 

When he got home he saw his mother’s car wasn’t in the drive and almost panicked, almost running into the house when he stopped, frozen at the door.

His girls were sound asleep on the couch, slumped against an equally asleep Snake Eyes, who was completely without a mask.

All the breath went out of his lungs and he swallowed, almost gasping at the sight. 

Snake Eyes was not at all like he’d pictured, and he had pictured more than he cared to admit.

From this angle Roadblock could make out the long lashes of his eyes, and the way his hair was cut tight around his ears, blonde, which he wasn’t surprised at. The burns were not as prominent as he had guessed, starting from the right side of his face across his forehead down his entire left cheek, his ear, and spread across the entirety of his chin. The neck scars he’d seen before were the lightest, the others were more noticeable though it was a crime to deny others to see how almost too good looking Snake Eyes had been and still was. 

Roadblock let out a breath, long and loud, causing the closed eyes to suddenly snap open and widen almost comically if not for the terror he sees in the gaze.

“I…um….I’m sorry, I just got…” 

Snake Eyes very slowly turns himself and the girls, his arms tightening at their backs and when his back was to him Roadblock could see the tension in his body like he wanted to run but had no means of escape except the two girls in his arms.

He stood, and Marvin said, “Snake, it’s…” 

Snake Eyes didn’t turn back around, walking with his daughters down the hall where Roadblock knew he couldn’t follow though he desperately wanted to explain that everything was okay. 

The fact that the man trusted his daughters enough to see his scars was killing him, knowing he wasn’t being given the same level of honor Maria and Madeline were and he stood frozen as Snake came out. 

“Snake, I’m sorry, I didn’t…” 

Snake Eyes stopped, turning slightly. He looked almost betrayed, his eyes were wide and reminded Roadblock of a wild animal.

“I’m sorry, okay? I…” 

Just as quickly as he was given attention it was taken away again, Snake’s head turning away a sign of dismissal he was all too familiar with. 

He was a soldier after all. 

The next morning he wakes and finds Maria and Madeline eating cereal with Snake Eyes sitting beside them wearing a full facial mask, his regular gear, and both his daughter’s eyes filled with tears. 

“Mornin’.” 

He freezes when accusing eyes both turn to glare at him. “You’re so mean, Daddy,” Maddy says with a pout and Maria nods once, sniffling, “Stupid Daddy.” 

He sighs, biting his tongue and trying not to make a bigger deal out of this than he knows they want to. 

“Daddy is sorry, girls,” he says softly, his back to them as he takes some poptarts out of the cabinet. 

“We’re not scared! We…” Maddy stops and he turns, not surprised to see Snake Eyes has a hand on her shoulder. 

His daughters seem to prefer Snake’s company over his so he leaves, retreating to his bedroom where he sees he has a text from Fiona. 

Fiona  
I had a great time last night! I’d love to have dinner again sometime! 

He stares at it, swallowing hard before typing a reply.

Me  
How about Wednesday? 

Fiona  
Great! I can’t wait! 

He puts down his cell and gets dressed almost a zombie, his movements clouded by last night much more than they should be and when he comes out he finds his mother has already arrived and her glare is almost as deep as his daughters’ though he’s unsure if she knows why the girls are upset with him. 

“What did you do?” she asks accusingly. 

He sighs, chewing absently on a piece of toast he’d left out earlier and been too guilty to finish. 

“I…I saw something I shouldn’t have.” 

His mother raises an eyebrow. 

“This has to do with Snake Eyes?”

He nods once and she smiles. “He lets them see him without his mask, but I haven’t seen him yet if that makes you feel better.” 

It does, surprisingly, though not much.

“Not enough,” he mumbles, and when the man in question comes around the corner for a second his eyes play tricks on him and he sees the maskless man from last night and an old familiar feeling raises its ugly head before he shakes himself. 

His mother says, “Good morning, Snake,” and the man nods once in reply, moving his head around like he’s searching for something. 

Roadblock wants to ask what it is, wants to apologize for walking in when he hadn’t been expected, and what comes out is, “It’s over there,” indicating Maddy’s sword which is leaning against her chair. 

Snake turns, looking at him deliberately. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice almost hoarse, “I didn’t…if you didn’t want people to see your face you should watch where you fall asleep.” 

The words come out almost of their own decision and almost immediately he sees the reaction in Snake. 

The hardness of his stance, his tensing hands as he grips his sword and the way his hand angles just right like he’s itching for a fight. 

His mother gasps, hitting his arm. “Marvin Fitzgerald, I can’t believe you!” 

Snake Eyes leaves in an angry rush, making his mother hit him again. 

“You are the most impossible…I never…just go already before you put your foot in your mouth again!” 

He leaves, preferring the safety of the pit over his own home more often than not these days anyway. When he arrives and hears the familiar clash of steel he pauses once before remembering Jinx who is fighting with a practice dummy. 

Walking passed her he notices that she and Snake Eyes fight slightly similar, which makes sense given their teacher but he is willing to bet she does it to mimic the other ninja more out of respect than habit. 

An unwelcome feeling of jealousy curves into him and he squashes it down, trying not to let himself do what he tries to tell himself he’s already started to do. 

“Block! You’re here!” comes an excited Fiona’s yell and she barrels herself at him in a hug. 

He hugs back awkwardly, and she grins. “So excited about Wednesday! I think we should go to the movies or something, isn’t that an awesome idea?” 

“Sure,” he says, easily sidestepping her and heading for Jaye and Flint, “Text me when you want to go.”

“OKAY!” she yells as he heads for the safety of the operations room. 

Flint and Jaye both look at him in amusement when he enters, “Shopping in the children’s department now are we?” Jaye asks with a grin. 

He glares. “Save it. What’s going on?”

She frowns, looking at Flint who frowns back. “Snake Eyes has been MIA for eleven days now and…” 

“He’s fine,” he says too quickly, surprising them both. 

Jaye smiles almost too slyly. “Really? And you know this because…?”

He can feel the blush in his face as he lies, “He sent word, he’s laying low in a safe house till trouble wears down with the cartel.” 

Jaye’s smile widens and Flint looks confused. “Uh…I didn’t…” 

She puts her hand on her boyfriend’s hand and says, “I’m sure he’s fine, Flint. If Block says he’s fine. Is he, Marvin?” 

He glares. “Don’t call me…” 

“Marvin,” she finishes, her eyes dancing, “Okay Roadblock, is Snake Eyes fine? Safe and sound in a SAFE house?”

He mumbles, “Yes.” 

Her triumphant grin annoys the shit out of him. “Okay then, moving on.”

Roadblock is sure she’s gonna corner him alone and try to get details so he avoids her for the remainder of the day. When he gets home he comes into the house to find his daughters having a tea party and Snake sitting with them like it’s the most natural thing in the world. 

The other man is still in his full gear, holding a pretend cup and when he enters the living room Snake turns, his eyes burning through the mask again and making reality blur till all he can see is a face he can’t seem to forget. 

Madeline stops fake eating and she turns, deliberately ignoring him. Snake seems to have broken out of his stare and he puts a hand on her arm, making her turn. 

Roadblock watches the conflicting feelings play out on the six year old’s face as she tries to do as she’s told and what she wants to do being the exact opposite. 

“Sorry, Daddy,” she whispers, and when he hears another, “Sorry we yelled,” he can’t help but be surprised. 

He sets down his bag and holds out his hands, both of his munchkins running as he leans down to hug them. The familiar feel of his babies in his arms brings tears to his eyes and when he looks up Snake is staring at them again. 

Roadblock mouths, “Sorry,” and Snake nods once before disappearing down the hall. 

When he comes out an hour later he’s wearing the eye showing mask again and Roadblock can’t help but let out a sigh of relief at the sight. 

Everything is back to normal. 

Wednesday night he’s getting ready when his mother knocks at his bedroom door, startling him. 

“Come in,” he calls and she enters quietly, walking to his bed and sitting as pretends to be just changing clothes to go to work late again or so he’s told the girls, his mom, and by association Snake Eyes. 

“You’re going on a date, aren’t you?” 

He freezes, pausing as he ties his shoes. 

“It’s all right, Marvin, you know. Moving on and all that.” 

He lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and asks, “Then why doesn’t it feel all right?” 

He sees her get off the bed and walk to him as he stands up, wrapping her arms around his side and whispering, “It is. Lati would have wanted you to move on, be happy, with whoever you wished to.” 

Roadblock closes his eyes, sighs deeply and hugs her back once before stepping away. “I know. I…” he looks at her, “Don’t tell the girls, okay? I’m…this isn’t…”

She smiles and kisses his cheek. “Have fun, baby,” she whispers, walking out of the room with him and when he stops at the door he freezes, seeing Snake Eyes sitting in the adjoining kitchen eating soup quietly. He stares, swallowing once and trying not to linger even as his mother looks over her shoulder at Snake and back at him questioningly. 

“Good luck,” she whispers and he’s gone almost running to the car to catch his breath. 

This feels wrong, he knows it does, so why does he keep doing it? His phone vibrates and he picks it up, expecting it to be Fiona but instead it’s a text from Jaye. 

Jaye  
I know he’s at your house. Can’t avoid me forever.

He ignores it and sighs again, loudly. He’s steered clear of the Pit and Jaye for the past three days, the knowing looks and smug smiles enough to make his palms sweat just thinking about it. 

He knows she’s right though, and still doesn’t want to disrespect Snake’s need for privacy again. 

When he gets to the movies, Fiona’s pick for the night ends up being some girly thing that he zones out of and when it’s done she grabs his hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Almost immediately he tears it away, and she looks disappointed but doesn’t say anything. 

Later he drops her off at her apartment and when she leans in for a kiss he kisses her cheek, knowing it isn’t what she wants but unable to do more. 

“Goodnight,” he says quickly and heads back home. 

He enters the house and finds Snake asleep on the couch again, exhausted by the looks of him. His mask is hanging loosely up his mouth and Roadblock stares, mesmerized at the sight of the man’s lips. He licks his own as he watches the blonde breath in and out slowly. 

Snake has taken to wearing loose fitting training clothes, still all black but it’s less restrictive than he started out in and when he turns, the mask slips up almost to his cheek and it’s almost like a strip tease. Roadblock feels ridiculous even thinking that, but his eyes roam down the man’s body and see his shirt has ridden up, revealing a slight patch of stomach and he swallows, almost running out of the room. 

Once he’s behind the closed door of his own bedroom he lets out a breath shakily, almost laughing at his own absurdity. 

This is bad. 

“Oh god,” he whispers before cursing, “Fuck.”

After Duke, he didn’t expect to feel this again. 

“Fuck me,” he curses, dropping his head against his closed door. 

He has a crush on Snake Eyes.

He’s fucked.

He pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it across the room in anger, nearly tearing himself out of his jeans and falling face first onto the bed. 

Only he would get a crush on the one person least likely to have a sensual or even romantic bone in their entire body just as he was trying to date a gorgeous, happy and very interested twenty three year old who wanted him. 

And only he would have feelings for someone who couldn’t even show him his face without having a panic attack. 

“Fuck my life,” he mumbles into his comforter, not lifting his head. 

He wakes up the next morning in the same position, though Madeline has somehow crept into bed beside him and is sleeping on his left, her head on the pillow and under his comforter. 

Roadblock rolls over and gets dressed, cursing under his breath and when he goes out into the hall he stops to check on Maria, only to find her bed empty. He frowns, checks his watch. 

It’s early, but she could be watching cartoons. He walks into the living room and she’s not there, and when he checks the kitchen it’s bare as well. 

Every muscle goes on high alert and he runs down the hall, bursting into his bedroom and shakes Maddy. 

“Madeline!” 

She blinks, “Daddy’m sleeping.”

“Where is Maria?”

“Wha? She’s sleeping.” 

“No baby, where is she?” he asks, trying not to sound panicked. 

She blinks, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. “She’s in Snake’s bed.” 

He stares. “What?”

She nods once. “We had bad dreams. She wanted to see Snake and I wanted Daddy so I slept with Daddy.”

All the panic drains out of him at once and he sighs, closing his eyes and turning back, walking down the hall and touching the doorknob once to see if it moves. 

It does. 

It’s another invasion, he knows it is, but he can’t stop himself from turning the knob to catch the sight. Slowly he opens the door a crack and sees his daughter curled into Snake Eyes’s side, clutching him tightly and looking so content he almost lets out a gasp. Snake’s face is bare again and he drinks it in, licking his mouth his traitorous body tightening at the sight. He swallows, his throat dry as he takes it in and it almost takes him a full minute before he notices that Snake is bare chested and that’s when he does gasp. 

Which alerts Snake Eyes to him, and when those dark blue eyes open he knows he’s in trouble again. 

They stare at each other, their eyes almost having a conversation and when Snake licks his own mouth and doesn’t look away Roadblock isn’t sure if things just got worse or better. He closes the door and leans his back against it, his heart pounding in his chest. 

What was that?

Breakfast is filled with the girls’ voices and he does his best to avoid Snake’s gaze. Waffles today and it’s his day off before he goes on a mission tomorrow. 

This is the first time he’s left the girls alone since Snake moved in and it’s the first time he’s felt like they’ll be completely safe while he’s gone. 

When he sets the toast and eggs on the table he turns to sit and Snake grabs his arm, making him look up and what he sees there he has no idea. 

“Daddy?”

Both men turn to look in Madeline’s direction and he feels Snake’s hand leave his arm. 

“Snake lives with us now, right?”

He looks at Snake who hasn’t looked away from her. 

“No, baby, he’s just…staying for a while.”

Her face falls and he catches Maria frowning as well, her eyes filling with tears that she blinks away. 

The rest of breakfast is quiet. 

The rest of the day is spent watching Disney movies and eating Macaroni and Cheese, much to the girls’ delight. He finds himself laughing more than has in a long time and when he catches Snake watching him more than once he has to look away. 

A little after lunch both of the girls fall asleep on the couch and he’s sitting on one end while Snake sits on the other. The movie has changed, it’s a random action movie now that the kids are napping and he coughs and says, “I…uh…about this morning.”

Snake looks at him, shakes his head, and looks at the TV again.

“You…uh…it doesn’t bother me. The…scars,” he confesses. 

He sees the other man tense and there’s no response. 

“The girls, they…you trust yourself with them. I just wish you trusted me.” 

Snake turns then, his hands wringing and Roadblock swallows as his hand comes up to the side of his mask. 

Slowly it moves and then suddenly his phone is ringing, loudly, interrupting their moment and Snake’s hand falls. He could kill whoever is on the other end. “Hello?” he barks without looking at the name. 

“Marvin! Hi! It’s me!” 

He almost curses, and he knows Fiona is loud enough that Snake can hear her, even without his sharp hearing from training he was sure anyone could. “Uh…hey. I…hang on a second.” 

He gets up from the couch and goes into the kitchen. 

“I just wanted to call you and…”

“Look Fi, it’s not a good time.” 

“Oh. Well I…I’m gonna be on your mission with you tomorrow. Jaye told me I could!”

He almost curses out loud. “That’s great, honey. Look I gotta go.”

“Okay! Bye!”

He hangs up the phone and shoves it in his pocket, sighing as he lifts his head. 

Snake is standing by the door, his eyes almost sad, and Roadblock swallows. “It’s…she’s a…it’s only been two dates. I…why am I explaining myself to you?” he mumbles, stalking passed him. 

Snake doesn’t move to stop him and he’s not sure if that’s worse or better for them both. 

The girls wake up and want to go outside so they do, his babies running like madwomen around the yard. He sees them pick up their swords and stand in a formation he’s sure they’ve practiced a hundred times before. 

It’s eerie how good they’re getting, but he’s proud as he watches and knows they must come out here daily to do these things with Snake who hasn’t followed them or come out of his room since hearing the phone call earlier. 

The moment they’d had is gone and he’s almost grateful for it, the conflicting feelings almost painful to figure out from the other man without flat out asking, which he’d cut his arm off before doing. 

Madeline jumps and hits her sister’s sword hard, knocking it out of her hand. 

“Daddy! Did you see!?” she yells excitedly, running up to him. 

He smiles. “Yeah, baby. I saw. You’re amazing.”

She hugs him tight and looks around, frowning. “Where’s Snake?”

He swallows. “In his room.”

“Oh,” she whispers, her frown deepening.

He pets her head and whispers, “I’m sure he’s proud too.”

When he goes inside the house to get the girls drinks he sees Snake sitting at the table drinking beer. 

He blinks, surprised, but doesn’t comment. 

When he leaves the ninja is on his second, and Roadblock doesn’t say a word when he leaves. 

His phone rings and he answers when he sees who’s calling. “Hey mom.” 

“Marvin, you need me to come for a few days? You have that big mission happening soon, right baby?”

He pauses. “I…I think they’ll be okay with Snake. If he wants.”

His mother is quiet on the other end. “Oh honey, he wants. I know he adores them.”

Roadblock’s eyes roam over his daughters as they prepare an outdoor tea party, pulling out all the fake plates and cups he kept outside for such an occasion. His chest aches and he half turns, surprised to find himself looking for Snake. 

It’s been two weeks and the natural thing to do is look for Snake. 

He sighs, running a hand over the back of his head as he says softly, “I know, ma.” 

“Marvin, honey, about this girl…if it doesn’t feel right, baby, maybe…” 

The door opens behind him and he turns, hearing that small click untightening the ache in his chest almost automatically. His eyes catch Snake’s own and he has to blink away the face again, swallowing. “I gotta go, I’ll call you back Mom okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers, and when he disconnects he puts his cell into his pocket before looking up again. 

“I…tomorrow we’re going to Katzatstan,” he starts, trying to be loud enough for the man to hear but quiet enough for the girls not to. His face is heating up, he can feel it, but he has to ask. “I…I don’t know the situation with the cartel or anything, and I don’t…my mom can come and stay with the girls, but if you’re not…would you? Watch them?” 

He hasn’t looked up the entire time he’s talked, too chicken to watch the other man’s eyes. He does now and is more confused than ever. 

Snake looks angry, angrier than he’s ever seen his eyes look before. 

“You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just have Mom come and…” he turns, trying hard not to get angry himself as he tries to make his way back inside the house again but a strong arm stops him with a tight grip that’s almost painful. 

Roadblock looks up and there are those eyes again, looking sad now and almost happy? He’s so confused. 

He swallows as the other man nods once, turning to look at the girls and then looking into his eyes again before repeating the nod. 

“You’re…okay with this?” he asks, unable to help it. 

Snake looks away, nodding again and lets go so fast that Roadblock almost stumbles back but catches himself. He watches the blonde walk away from him to sit on the grass near his daughters, picking up a teacup so easily like he’s done it all his life. 

Seeing the three of them together the ache returns and he has to leave. 

There’s a lot to be done. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Katzatstan is no cake walk, and he ends up there for a lot longer than he’d expected to be. Three days turns into a week and when they finally find the crown prince and return him to the palace the celebration lasts another two days. 

Fiona is having the time of her life and Jaye seems to hate her more the longer they spent time together, and Roadblock is starting to feel the same. The day before they’re getting ready to leave in the morning and the party is starting to wind down she jumps into his lap, throwing her arms around him and kissing him without hesitation. 

He pushes her off almost immediately, the feeling foreign and wrong like he’d expected. The hurt look in her drunken eyes makes him feel slightly guilty but when he says, “It’s…I can’t,” she bursts into tears and runs off. 

Jaye sits down beside him after that, handing him a glass of wine and smiling. “Thank god, I was thinking I’d have to kill her myself to make you get a clue.” 

He glares. “Not now, okay? Not…” 

She throws an arm around him and lays her head on his shoulder. “So…Snake. He’s okay, right? It’s been over three weeks at your place, it’s…weird.” 

Roadblock feels himself tense at the question and says, “I don’t know. He’s safe there, it’s…safe.” 

“For him, yeah. For you though? I’ve read your files, I know how much of a crush you had on him back in your rookie days.” 

He looks at her, surprised. “What? I didn’t…” 

She bursts into laughter, shaking her head. “Oh god, yes you DID! I’ve read the glowing log reports! ‘Snake Eyes is a tactical genius! He’s so good at fighting! We work so well as a team!’ it’s worse than your logs about Duke!” 

He watches her face fall as the name comes out and he looks away, his jaw clenching. 

“Oh shit, I didn’t…Marvin…” she hugs him and he lets her. 

“Don’t call me Marvin,” he mumbles, staring at his hands. 

“I didn’t mean to make fun, I…I think it’s adorable,” she whispers, kissing his cheek, “I wish you luck this time around, though you have your work cut out for you.” 

She lets him go and goes off to find Flint, he’s sure, leaving Roadblock to his thoughts again. 

With the lingering threat of Fiona off his back he feels safer here, though Snake’s absence is deeply felt. He misses the sound of swords and wonders why Jinx wasn’t put on this one, but he didn’t assign the team. 

Downing the rest of his wine he gets up and heads for his room, nodding once again to the prince and his wife before leaving the palace hall. Once he’s inside and checks the time, noting that it’s late here but about mid-afternoon at home he calls his house. 

“Daddy! Hi!” Madeline yells, and he smiles. 

“How’re my girls doing?” he asks, missing them even more now that he can hear her. 

“We’re fine! We just had grilled cheese! Jinx showed us how to make them!” she says, and he feels his stomach drop considerably. 

“Who, baby?” he asks, swallowing down anger. 

“Jinx! She’s Snake’s friend! She’s making us some pudding later! We had pancakes this morning!” 

He bites his tongue and licks his mouth once before asking, “Where’s Snake Eyes, baby?” 

“He’s here. He’s been…” she pauses, and he feels worry settle in as she finishes in a whisper, “Different.” 

Roadblock closes his eyes and lets out a breath. “Baby, where’s Maria?” 

“She’s in the kitchen, want me to get her?” 

“No, honey, I…how different is Snake?” 

She pauses. “He’s quieter,” she says. 

“Honey he doesn’t talk, he’s always….”

“NO! He doesn’t even…he stopped teaching us swords and he doesn’t play like he used to, and he’s got hair on his face,” she mumbles, and he can hear the beginning of tears in her voice. 

He tries not to feel almost physically aroused at the thought of Snake Eyes with stubble as he’s talking to his six year old, but fails, swallowing once before asking, “Let me talk to Jinx.” 

She says, “Come home soon, daddy okay?” 

“I’m leaving tomorrow, honey, I’ll be home by night time.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too baby.” 

He hears shuffling around and when a voice asks, “What?” he knows it’s Jinx.

“What are you doing at my house?” 

“Taking care of your family,” she hisses back. 

“Why?” he barks, “Snake said he was fine looking after the girls. Everything was…” 

“I received an urgent page from Snake Eyes four days ago, asking for my assistance because he did not think himself capable of caring for your daughters like they should be taken care of. His…emotions have gotten the better of him and you should feel HONORED that he cares enough about your children to ask for such a request. I have never been more honored to be asked,” she said without taking a breath, the awe in her voice annoying him. 

“What’s wrong with Snake Eyes?” 

She pauses. “I do not know the cause of his…affliction. He seems very…affected…and has taken to intoxication since my arrival.”

Roadblock almost feels physically ill. “He’s DRINKING? WHAT THE FUCK? I’m leaving tonight, DON’T TELL HIM I’m coming.” 

“Roadblock, he’s not…” 

“DON’T.” 

He hangs up, almost throwing the phone as he does. 

He trusted the man to look after his kids and he’s drinking? What would even make him so upset? 

A tiny part of him for a second thought that maybe he’d been hurt over finding out about Fiona but he squashed the idea almost immediately. Snake didn’t see him like that. It had to be something else, which worried him more. 

Three weeks ago he’d never been this conflicted about his life before, and the ache in his chest just thinking about it was something he couldn’t keep feeling. 

When he got home, he’d have to tell him to leave. 

The pain seemed to intensify at the thought but he pulled out his duffel and started to pack, ignoring it. 

His family deserved him at his fullest, and this wasn’t what he wanted to be like for his kids. 

When he went out into the hall he nearly slammed into Flint and Jaye as they walked down the hall arm in arm. 

Jaye grabbed his arm. “Hey, where are you going?”

“Home. It’s…there’s an emergency.” 

Her eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “I’ll tell you later. Can you get me out of here?”

She nodded once and kissed Flint quick before turning to him again. “Let’s go.”

Two hours later he was on a flight home at the prince’s request, surprising him but he was grateful as he pulled into his driveway and shut off his car. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before heading for the door. 

He stopped when he saw Jinx was sitting on the porch, sword in hand. 

“Jinx,” he said, eyes narrowing. 

She glared at him. “I have not informed Snake Eyes of your arrival, as per your request. He is asleep, the girls are in bed with him.”

He swallowed, sitting down next to her. 

“The drinking. How bad is it?”

Jinx glared at him still. “He partakes of more than four glasses of alcohol every evening since my arrival, and has taken to not shaving the last three days. His eyes are unfocused and he does not interact with the children.” 

He closed his eyes. 

“I can’t have him here like that.” 

“I know this. I have…spoken to him of it.” 

“His response?” he whispered, opening his eyes again.

She looked at him and smiled. “He smiles.”

Roadblock blinks at her. “Smiles?” 

“He seems content to leave,” she whispers, “I have never seen my sensei this way. It…pains me.” 

He patted her knee. “I know. You can go now.” 

She shakes her head. “I was told to stay out for the next several hours by Snake Eyes. To protect the house.” 

He sighs. “I’m telling you to go, Jinx, and it’s my house okay. I can protect it.”

He watches the conflicting emotions play out on her face and when she sighs once before nodding, he goes inside throwing down his bag by the door. 

Roadblock walks down the hall and stops at Snake’s door, opening it without trying to be quiet. When he sees his daughters asleep, clutching at Snake like a life line all the fight goes out of him and he leans against the door frame to stare. 

Snake Eyes has two, maybe three days worth of stubble on his face and it looks better than he imagined. He swallows, taking in the sight of the man a week ago he expected to be the ideal babysitter. A week away has made the idea that he’s infatuated with Snake Eyes seem almost imaginary but now seeing him he’s sure there’s no mistake. 

He’s never wanted anyone more. 

Roadblock sighs, and it surprises him when Snake doesn’t wake up but Maria does. Her eyes widen and he presses a finger to his mouth. She climbs off of the bed, walks over to him, and he picks her up carrying his baby girl into his room where they both fall asleep. 

In the morning he wakes to find Madeline has joined her, and he slips out of bed without waking either of them and heads for Snake’s room expecting to find it empty. 

It’s not. 

The man is still asleep, looking more exhausted than ever. He walks into the room and sits on the other side of the bed, which finally wakes him. 

He knows his anger must be in his face because Snake looks apologetic. 

“You know why I’m here.”

Snake nods once, and his eyes narrow almost angrily. 

“Don’t EVEN look angry at me. I’m not the one drinking like a fish to drown away whatever is fucking with your head.” 

Snake rears back at his words, trying to almost escape but he grabs his arm tightly. “DON’T move. You’re gonna hear me.” 

He nods once, staring at the hand holding him. 

“I trusted you, and you…Jinx, Snake? I don’t even know her and she’s watching my kids! I…”

Snake grabs his other hand and turns it over, surprising him. He swallows when Snake takes a finger and traces the word SAFE into his palm. 

“How am I supposed to know that? How…why the hell are you drinking? What’s with your face? What…” 

He catches the blood draining out of Snake’s face at the words and almost immediately says, “I didn’t mean…I meant the hair, I…you know I don’t care about your stupid scars okay? I…fuck, just explain to me what’s going on.” 

His hand is pressed against Snake’s skin and he thinks for a second that the other man is nude beneath the blanket but pushes the thought away. His daughters have slept beside him and there’s no way. 

Snake traces HURTS into his hand and frowns at him. 

“What happened? I…” 

Snake shakes his head and Roadblock lets go of his arm to move his hand to the other man’s shoulder. 

“Tell me, please. I…I can’t let you be here if I…” 

He traces the word GO and Roadblock almost does, but thinks better of himself. 

“I don’t…the kids would be so hurt if you were gone, they love you so much you have no idea,” he says, hoping that helps. 

It seems to have made things worse, judging by the tears in Snake’s eyes and the way he smiles, almost bitterly. 

GO is written again in his palm and he shakes his head. 

“I don’t want you to,” he starts but stops himself. 

He can’t keep him here forever. 

He swallows, nodding once. “I get it. I do. Whatever happened with the cartel, it was bad enough that you’re not safe in sight. You’re not…”

Snake shakes his head. 

“Then why are you still here?” 

Snake lets out a breath and he lets go of him, putting a hand on his own neck and shaking his head.

“DADDY!” he hears and curses, shaking his head. 

“We’re not done,” he says, standing up and walking to the door. 

He looks back and Snake looks worse than before. “And you don’t have to hide behind that stupid mask, your face doesn’t scare us. It never has,” he declares, and shuts the door behind him. 

The girls want breakfast and he hears them chatter about the week he’s been away. Apparently Jinx helped them in their swordplay and she’s “so pretty” and “so nice” which annoys him the more they keep saying it. 

“Mister Snake seems to like her,” Maria says, stopping him mid chop as he’s cutting the strawberries for their cereal. 

“Mister Snake?” he asks. 

The girls haven’t called Snake that in weeks. 

Maria nods once, “She’s always talking to him and he listens a lot, but he doesn’t like us anymore. He likes her more.”

Her voice wavers at the end, her lip pouting out. He sighs. “Honey you know that’s not true.” 

Maddy nods. “She came and he let her right in, and he’s always touching her.”

He almost drops the knife. 

“Touching?” 

His six year old continues. “He puts his hands on her hand, and he…”

The grip on the knife does fall then. 

Of course. 

He’d been so stupid. 

“Honey,” he whispers hoarsely, “Did Miss Jinx see Snake without his mask?” 

“Oh yeah, right away,” Maddy says, chewing as he hands her the bowl of Cheerios. 

He doesn’t feel hungry anymore as he sits beside his kids, and when they’re done he puts them in front of the TV before knocking on Snake’s door again. 

The door opens and he pushes passed the man, closing it behind him. 

“So…I figured it out,” he says, almost spitting he’s so angry. 

Snake hasn’t put his mask back on, and he’s not surprised. He’d been without it for days already, more comfortable with Jinx than he’d ever been with him. With even the girls probably. 

His hand tightens into a fist and he holds himself back. 

“Jinx saw you without your mask?” he asks. 

Snake tilts his head curiously before nodding. 

“You’re…safe, with her?” 

His eyes widen before he nods. 

Roadblock almost feels ill but continues. “How long has that been true?”

Snake doesn’t move and he knows he can’t answer so instead he steps in front of Snake, putting out his palm. The other man doesn’t respond right away. 

“Just tell me.” 

He feels fingers on his skin and shivers as the word NO is traced on his hand. 

His eyes fly up and he glares. “How long have you been fucking her?” 

Snake rears back as if he’d been hit. 

“Tell me. I…you…” he runs a hand over the back of his head and curses, “You know what? On second thought, don’t. Just…just go. Okay? I’ll tell the girls something, I just…” 

He turns to leave and stops when he feels a hand on his back. He turns, his nerves on high alert and he wants so badly to just pick a fight even knowing that Snake is the better fighter. “What?” 

Snake swallows and shakes his head. 

“What does that mean? I don’t,” his voice catches as he lets out a breath, “I don’t know how to read you anymore. I thought I did but…” 

Snake takes his hand and traces NO and then JINX into his palm making him look up. 

“The girls…the said you kept touching her, that…” 

Snake shakes his head. 

NO is traced into his palm again and he visibly relaxes, nodding once. “Sorry, I just…I don’t know why I got so…”

Snake doesn’t let go of his hand and he takes it back, turning to go. 

A hand at his back again and he shudders, closing his eyes. “Snake.” 

It takes a second to realize Snake is tracing a letter on his back and he waits with bated breath as an F is traced followed by an I and he’s on the O when Roadblock realizes what he’s spelling out, turning to look at his face. 

He looks wrecked, his face a mess of emotion and when he says, “No,” Snake glares. 

“She’s not…that’s not what I wanted,” he admits, shaking his head, “I thought it was, but…”  
He watches the blonde’s entire body change from angry to relaxed, and a ghost of smile appears on Snake’s lips. 

“Why are you smiling?”

Snake shakes his head, looking down shyly. 

“Snake, look at me.”

He looks up and it takes only a second for Roadblock to bridge the gap between them, a hand to the back of Snake’s head as he kisses him so softly he can barely feel it but when Snake kisses back it’s harder, dirtier than he’s ever been kissed and he knows he’s the first to feel this mouth against his own. 

The thought alone almost makes him come in his pants and he groans, backing them up against the dresser, deepening the kiss till he’s breathless enough to pull back, pressing their foreheads against each other and laughing. 

“Seriously? You got drunk because I went on a date?”

Snake Eyes looks away, frowning. 

“That’s so adorable,” he whispers, kissing him again and a pinch to his side makes him laugh even harder biting at Snake’s mouth as he confesses, “I’m no better. I wanted to slit her throat, not gonna lie.” 

Snake’s arms come around him and he can feel the other man’s hardness against his own but he doesn’t push, even though the mere thought of sex between them has been in his fantasies for weeks now. 

They stare at each other and he kisses Snake’s forehead, down all of his scars and stopping at his earlobe, biting it lightly and making the blonde shiver against him. 

“I want to take all of your firsts,” he confesses, and Snake nods, letting out a breath and he feels a hand travel up under the back of his shirt making him groan. 

“Don’t, I…I won’t be able to stop,” he says hoarsely, and Snake stops, kissing his neck and sucking hard enough to leave a mark. 

When they pull apart both men have red mouths and Snake’s skin is flushed. 

It takes him a second to remember the girls and he groans, closing his eyes. 

“The kids,” he says, and Snake touches his face making him open his eyes again. 

The look there is so much more than he expected, want and trust that he’d been desperate for weeks now and he kisses him again whispering, “I gotta,” and leaving before he can’t help but stay. 

The girls are sitting on the couch with Spongebob, eating chips even though it’s only ten in the morning and he’s so ridiculously happy he couldn’t care less, sitting down between them and grabbing the bag. 

Madeline climbs up in his lap and Maria lays her head against his side. 

“Missed you, daddy,” she says. 

He pets the top of her head and says, “I missed you too, baby.” 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

When he comes out into the hallway the first thing he notices is the silence. He’s used to silence, it’s part of his everyday life and that’s why being here the last few weeks have been so different but much more than he ever expected. 

Snake walks down the hall and stops, seeing the three of them lying together in the middle of the couch sound asleep. He stares, the feeling in him growing as he watches and he’s been alive for thirty years and never has he felt these feelings before. 

He’s in love, he knows. 

It started with the girls, his students and if he’s truthful his friends. They were the safest he’s been since he was a child, learning from his master and discovering the way for the very first time. 

Then it was Roadblock, always there and trying but standing far enough away to be safe enough without getting under his skin. 

Until the man saw him without his mask for the first time and he saw no fear, only surprise. Since the accident, since he woke to a face he didn’t know and saw disgust in almost every person who saw him he had hidden under his name. 

Here was different. 

He’d crawled in through the window and thought he’d hide out for three days, which turned into three weeks because he didn’t want to leave. Logically he knew the cartel was still looking for him, the man who killed their men and he wasn’t recognizable if he kept out of his gear. 

It was an excuse, a weakness. 

He swallowed, walking over to the couch and putting a hand on Roadblock’s cheek, causing the other man to wake and smile at him. 

There was warmth there, he could see it, but he didn’t want to trust in feelings. He’d experienced so many since staying here and he was afraid of himself for the very first time. 

“Hey,” Roadblock said. 

Snake picked Maria up and carried her to the room, feeling the other man at his back doing the same with Madeline. He set her down and locked eyes with him, the heat there unmistakable. 

Lust. 

Another new feeling. 

His master would advise against it, but one touch and he was addicted. 

They walked out into the hallway and as he heard the click of the door he turned, grabbing onto Roadblock’s neck and pulling their mouths together. 

The other man groaned, pulling him closer and they backed up into his doorway, his head hitting it hard but he could barely feel it as they kissed, his hand coming up under Roadblock’s shirt and he protested, making what little noise he could when the mouth he needed was pulled away. 

“We’re not gonna make out in the hall,” the other man said, grinning and pulling him down the hall to his bedroom. 

Snake had never been in there before and he took it all in as they moved, knowing this was where Roadblock had been with his wife every night before her death kissing her this way, conceiving the girls. 

The thought should have put a damper on his lust but it didn’t, especially when the other man pulled his shirt over his head revealing his chest. Snake’s hands roamed from his neck down and he heard him groan, his eyes looking up to see Roadblock was biting his lip. 

“You’re…I know you’re…” 

He pressed a finger to Roadblock’s lips and shook his head, wanting to feel more. Needing to. 

He leaned in and pressed his mouth where his hands had been and the deep growl that erupted spurred him on as he used to his tongue to taste. 

“Fuck, stop. You gotta,” the man under him protested but he continued, reaching his hand down into Roadblock’s pants bypassing his underwear and touching him. 

“Fuck, Snake, you…” 

He had quick hands, years of training had seen to that, that worked Roadblock so fast that he felt his release over his fingers as he licked and his own dick was so hard he knew he was close enough himself if he was pushed a little more but he didn’t , looking up and seeing the man beneath him with wide eyes looking so blissful it was worth any discomfort. 

“Fuck,” Roadblock hissed, grabbing his hand and pulling him up into a kiss. 

They moved against each other enough that he shuddered when his dick moved against Roadblock’s body, making him pause and pull back. 

“You ready?” he asked, and Snake shook his head. 

An answering smile was all he got in return and his eyes widened as Roadblock pulled him close, flipping them over and without word began moving against him without touching till Snake came so hard the guttural noise that came from him was pulled from the remainder of his severed vocal cords and when he opened his eyes Roadblock was smiling. 

“Was it good for you too?” 

He blushed and felt a kiss on his cheek just as the other man breathed him in. 

“Fuck, that was the hottest thing,” he whispered kissing his neck. 

He almost smiled at his naiveté, mere days ago he’d worked himself into a frenzy over thoughts of Roadblock with Fiona, knowing the woman knew more about sex than him and here they were rutting against each other which seemed enough to satisfy.

Snake knew it wouldn’t be enough and the idea was frightening, but he didn’t expect to be here that long. 

He laid his head against Roadblock’s and Roadblock lifted his head with a smile, kissing him. 

“We gotta get out of these clothes.” 

Snake watched him peel out of his pants and he stared at his hand, the semen there already drying. He hadn’t even remembered, his thoughts had been completely taken over. 

He doesn’t want to leave. 

The mere idea of it caused a pain in his chest that he squashed down, sitting up and rolling off the bed. They locked eyes and said nothing else as he left down the hall, going into his room and grabbing some clothes before heading to shower. 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

His mother comes over at lunch and Roadblock sees her eyes widen at the sight of Snake without a mask but she recovers, her eyes drifting to his once before acting like everything is completely normal. 

She feeds the girls and everywhere he goes seems to be staring at him so he steers clear of Snake purposefully sitting between his twins and eating the fried chicken she cooks in silence. 

The twins are starting kindergarten in the new few weeks and he knows things will change, his thoughts drift to Snake who seems to be staring at him and their feet tangle under the table. 

He never thought not having sex would be this hot. 

He swallows and says, “Hey, ma…uh…about what you said…” 

She looks at him as if trying to remember, and he can see the wheels turning before it dawns. 

“Yes, Marvin?”

“It wasn’t right, I…it stopped.” 

She visibly relaxes, nodding, “It’s gotta feel right, baby. When it feels right, then you know you’re with the right person.” 

Her eyes drift to Snake and he can feel the blush starting. “Yeah.” 

Snake’s foot drifts up his leg and he almost chokes, coughing. A hand on his thigh and he actually pinches him, making Snake step on his foot. 

His mother knows him, he can feel her eyes watching them interact and he knows as soon as she gets him alone she’ll strike. 

Roadblock shuts himself off, glaring once and trying not to look at Snake. 

They finish up and the girls want to go outside, grabbing Snake and pulling him away even as the other man stares back at him looking confused at his coldness. As soon as the door closes she says, “I like him, Marvin. He’s good for you.”

He swallows. “Mom.” 

She’s at his back. “Duke would’ve never said yes, baby, you know?” 

He nods once and looks at her. “He’s dangerous.” 

She smiles. “So are you, but he’ll protect you and your babies with his life.” 

“He’d do that anyway, even if…” 

She laughs, “Oh baby, look at you. Head over heels and completely a mess over it still! Laticia and Duke are laughing it up there in heaven watching you.” 

He smiles, wiping at his eyes. “I hope so.” 

She throws out her arms and he falls into them, hugging tightly. 

When the door opens and Snake pauses in the doorway before closing it back up and disappearing she bursts out laughing. 

“Oh he’s so adorable, you got lucky there baby. Would never have expected him to be that handsome.”

He blushes and says nothing. “Thanks Ma.”

She grins and he walks outside and Snake is standing by the door looking worried. He shakes his head and comes up beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine. She likes you.”

Snake’s eyes widen and he laughs. “My mom is pretty bright.” 

He nods, smiling and the girls are so busy fighting they don’t notice when he takes Snake’s hand in his. 

They put the girls to bed at the same time after dinner, each taking one and when they walk out into the living room settling down on the couch to watch TV without a word. 

An hour passes he’s would so tightly he thinks he might snap and just jump Snake, but holds himself back presses his nails into his palms to stop. 

He doesn’t want to fuck this up, doesn’t want to force himself on Snake if he’s not ready, even after earlier that was tame compared to what he wanted to do right now. 

He hears a familiar noise that goes right to his dick, the strangled moan from earlier that he was sure Snake hadn’t even realized he could do judging by the surprised look on his face. He turned and saw Snake’s face was red and he could hear him breathing from here. 

“C’mere,” he whispered and Snake did just that, crawling closer and when they’re close enough he sears his lips against the blonde’s, swallowing any noises he could make. 

Every kiss seems to make Snake want more of them, so he gives him as much as he wants, sucking on his tongue deeply and when they pull apart he says, “Tell me to stop,” which Snake shakes his head and he can’t help but groan and wrench himself away almost running to the kitchen and grabbing the first sticky thing he sees which happens to be the oil his mother left out from the chicken earlier. 

He runs back into the room and sees Snake’s taken off his shirt. 

He drops the bottle. 

“Jesus Christ,” he whispers hoarsely. 

The man is built, not as many muscles as he has but he’s got them in spades, peppered with some burn scars that he doesn’t even stop to notice. There’s an arashakage tattoo on his left pectoral and he swallows, “You’re gorgeous.”

Snake shakes his head and he almost runs to him, kissing any protests away and it takes minutes for them both to be naked while he debates what’s about to happen to himself as they begun rutting against each other till they’re both so hard he moans, “Gotta stop,” and Snake shakes his head even as he pushes him back. 

“I want you to…” he starts to say, feeling stupid. 

Snake stares at him. 

“I know you’re not and I…I’ve done this before, I don’t want to…” 

Snake takes his hand and kisses it, nodding once before pressing him back onto the couch where he picks up the oil bottle it takes a second for Roadblock to roll over and when he feels the first finger inside him he bites his cheek to keep from crying out. 

This couch is the worst place to do this and also the best, because the amount of sex he knows is about to happen would wake up the girls when his bedpost rammed against the wall and he swallows before saying, “More,” and Snake obliges, fingering him till he’s harder than he’s ever been before and when he moans, “Please,” he feels the other man at his back press inside and the feeling is indescribable. 

The move against each other so fast that he’s seeing stars, Snake swallowing his noises as he fucks him and when he feels a hand on his dick he almost comes but holds back, pressing himself back enough that Snake growls that moan again and begins to move even faster till he comes with a strangled shout that Snake covers with his hand. His thrusts get more manic and soon Roadblock is shuddering with every plunge lost in the sensation even and when he feels the blonde beginning to tense he turns his head back to look and he catches sight of Snake’s face as he comes inside him for the first time.

That’s when he realizes he’s in love. 

“Fuck,” he whispers, and Snake thrusts till he’s spent, laying against his back and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

“Fuck,” he groans, and Snake’s fingers trace PERFECT across his back making him smile. 

“Yeah,” he whispers, and feels the other man pull out, getting up and when he comes back with a towel they clean up though he knows he can never look at this couch again without thinking of this. There’s a spot on the cushion where he’d come and he turns it over, laughing. 

“Yeah, that’s ruined.”

Snake kisses him again and they carry their clothes with them when they go to his bedroom, climbing in together and lying completely naked, curled around each other till they fall asleep. 

When he wakes up in the morning every trace of Snake is gone. 

He wakes with a smile, rolling over and finding the bed empty, which is normal, so he showers and gets dressed before going out in the hall to find the girls still asleep. He walks towards the kitchen expecting to find Snake eating or drinking coffee. 

The kitchen is empty. 

He frowns, walking towards his room and opening the door.

It’s completely empty, no sign that anyone had ever stayed there. 

He can hear the noise he makes and leans against the door, closing his eyes. 

“Bastard,” he whispers, tears in his eyes. 

So that was that, then? 

He grabs his phone and calls Jaye. “Marvin, to what do I owe…” she starts but he cuts her off.

“Where is Snake Eyes?”

She pauses. “He’s not with you?”

“He’s gone,” he says with a whisper. 

She sighs. “Oh. I...” she types something, “He doesn’t have anything logged, I…oh wait, he came here this morning. Looks like he took some gear.” 

“Where’s Jinx? Is she there?”

“No, she’s working with Fiona on that protection deal with the Princess of Valeria. She’s been gone since last night. I can put out a trace, see if…” 

He closes his eyes and sighs. “No, it’s fine.”

“Marvin.”

“Don’t call me that,” he says, his voice hoarse. 

“I’m sorry.”

He nods once, “I’m sorry too,” he says before hanging up. 

He’s making breakfast when the girls wake, and their excited faces almost make him smile but he can barely think because he’s going to have to tell them. 

They eat and it takes all of five minutes when Maria asks, “Where’s Snake, Daddy?” and when his face falls she frowns and Madeline does too. 

He sighs. “Snake’s gone home,” he says simply. 

Both of his babies burst into tears and he wants to cry with them, but just hugs them to him tightly. Thirty minutes later they’ve both cried themselves to sleep and he calls his mom. 

“He’s gone, Ma,” he says quietly. 

“Oh honey, I’m…” 

“I need to…I’m gonna go on a misson, I…can you?”

She comes an hour later, hugging him and he heads for the Pit not surprised when Jaye drags him into a private office and hugs him. He hugs her back and takes a breath. 

“Guys suck,” she whispers. 

“I’m learning that,” he whispers, laughing. 

She looks up at him and says, “I called Jinx, she thinks he probably went to the dojo. That mountain one? In Japan. If he’s gonna hide, that’s the place.”

“He obviously doesn’t…” he starts and she cuts him off. 

“I’ve known him a lot less time than you have and I can tell you only one reason why he left. He either doesn’t want to get you and the kids hurt, doesn’t think he deserves you, or is just scared as hell. I’m guessing you got your head out of your ass and told him?” she says, waiting. 

He swallows. “We…yeah.”

She blinks, surprised. “Really?” 

He glares. “Don’t even.”

She smiles. “I have no idea what Snake Eyes looks like, but I can imagine,” her eyes drift and he pinches her, “Hey, I’m allowed. I’ve seen you half naked I’m sure it’s a very pretty full package.” 

He laughs. “You’re not helping.”

Jaye grins. “You’re smiling, I think I am.”

Roadblock sighs again, running a hand over his head. “He left for a reason. I have to respect that.”

“Fuck that. You love him?”

He looks at her and nods once. 

She smiles. “Then we’re going to Japan.” 

As he stood over the edge of mountain, climbing up behind Jaye and five other Joes for backup he was beginning to think this was more trouble than it was worth. 

He was always the one on the front line, the fighter, not the climber and definitely not the one who thought he could break into a ninja dojo without being killed. From what he knew of Snake Eyes, it was starting to dawn on him that he knew a lot less than he thought but more than most people, the Arashakage dojo would not welcome visitors. 

Jaye was a sniper, but she knew climbing better than he did and when he heard he yell out, “There!” he looked up just in time to see the ninjas coming to attack them. 

He jumped back just as six ninjas in black attacked, sideswiping two of their backup and hearing them fall to their deaths spurred him to attack the ninja closest to him using his knife to cut the rope the man hung from and he was even more ready to attack the next. 

By the time the fight was through it was down to him, Jaye, and one of the five they’d brought with them and when he looked up to see a familiar but not welcome face above his head call out, “STOP,” he ground his teeth in frustration.

Storm Shadow. 

The man looked rather smug that he’d saved them, since only three of the six ninjas had been brought down, and when he finished his climb Storm Shadow held out his arm to help pull him up and eyed him much longer than he should have. 

Roadblock glared at him. “Why are you here?”

The other man smiled. “My master is teaching me again, the clan has welcomed me back with open arms. Why are YOU here?”

He looked like he knew, judging by the way he continued to look Roadblock up and down. There was almost something like attraction in the gaze and it made his skin crawl. “We’re looking for Snake.”

Storm Shadow smiled. “He’s not here, though you’re welcome to look,” he waved his hand out in front of him and Roadblock wanted him to be lying as they all entered the dojo together. 

The master welcomed them, told them the same about Snake, though there was something that made Roadblock still believe they were lying. 

“He hasn’t been here?” he asked again. 

The man was blind, there was nothing else he could be, but he looked right at Roadblock and said, “Ah, you’re the one,” which made Roadblock blush. 

“What?”

He smiled and said, “He was here, he has gone.”

It had been almost a week since Snake had disappeared, since they’d been together on his couch though he wasn’t sure if it had been making love or fucking he didn’t want to think about the distinction just now. 

The pain in his chest even thinking that was too intense, so he pushed it down. “How long?”

“Hours,” the man said without missing a beat, “I am sure he climbed the same path as you, hiding in the shadows.”

They were welcomed to stay the night and no more, directed to a series of rooms that Jaye didn’t trust so she came to his room and he took the floor. 

The moon was high in the sky as he stared, the windows without glass bringing in the cold and he lay on the hard floor for an hour before getting up to wander. 

Ninjas stalked the halls, some were fighting and others just stood guard but no one stopped him when he went outside to breathe. 

He had no idea where Snake was, this was the only place he thought of and the only one with any meaning to the man. The ache got harder and he could barely breathe, clutching his chest and letting out air in bursts. 

“Painful?” a voice asked, startling him.

Roadblock turned and glared, letting out a breath before swallowing his feelings again in a growl, “What do you want?” 

Storm Shadow stood shirtless, wearing his trademark white and his smile was almost blinding. 

“I have come to see what is so special about you,” he said, walking closer. 

He wanted to step back but knew it would be a sign of weakness and when the other man stood almost plastered against him he said, “Nothing.”

Storm laughed, throwing back his head. “That is not the truth,” he said simply, reaching out to touch but Roadblock grabbed his arm, “Is it?”

“If you’re thinking I have a thing for ninjas think again,” he hissed, pushing him back hard.

Storm didn’t stop smiling, touching his arm his eyes ablaze. “You are certain? He was abandoned you, led you here only to flee, and he has no feelings. We cannot feel beyond the physical.” 

The words were like a punch in the stomach but he kept his face neutral. “I’m pretty damn sure I would never be attracted to someone like you.”

Storm laughed again, rushing to him only to push Roadblock against the wall, a sword appearing out of nowhere to lean at his throat. “Never? Snake Eyes has killed more men than you know.”

He was stronger than this, he was, but the words were making it hard to fight and he hissed, “He’s not a killer, not like you. He protects people.” 

Storm hit him twice in the face with the hilt of his sword, making him drop but he didn’t move. 

“Snake Eyes is a killer and he is not meant for life outside of death,” Storm said, his voice like ice. 

He knelt down and pressed his face almost close enough to kiss and whispered, “He does not love,” and didn’t fight him when he brought the hilt of his sword down hard, knocking him out completely. 

When he woke someone was pressing a cool rag to his forehead and he ached all over, especially his head. 

“Ow,” he hissed, pushing the hand back.

He blinked, the room still not in complete focus and when he finally saw who was above him he laughed, closing his eyes again. 

“Fuck you,” he growled, trying to stand. 

A strong hand held him down and he opened his eyes wide enough to glare. “NOW you come out? After I get my ass kicked?” 

Snake Eyes looked properly scolded, looking down and pressing a hand to his head again that he pushed away. 

“You enjoy that? Him trying to warn me off? Cuz it worked,” he whispered, pressing a hand to his own head. There would be a bruise there but he knew he’d gotten off easy. 

No response, even when he looked right at the blonde who looked like he hasn’t enjoyed it at all. 

There was a knock and Jaye came in the room, glaring passed Snake and sitting on the bed.  
“You okay?” 

He nodded, letting out a breath. His ribs throat hurt from the sword but he wouldn’t voice that in front of Snake. “Just hurt my pride getting the smack down from someone who weighs a hundred pounds less than me.”

Jaye laughed and hugged him soft enough not to hurt. He leaned in to it, his eyes going to Snake who looked like he’d swallowed something sour. 

Good. 

“The Master says we can stay another day for you to get better,” she said as she sat up, glaring back at Snake who didn’t look like he was leaving anytime soon. 

He moved to stand and the room was still a bit fuzzy, so he laid back down. “I’ll be fine in a few hours,” he said. 

She frowned, but nodded. “I’ll tell the guys. Get some sleep,” she said, standing and stopping to glare again at Snake, “You can leave.”

Snake just glared back and Roadblock wondered what she’d thought when she’d first seen the other man’s face. Jaye turned and said, “Not worth the wait, I’m not impressed,” and he held back a laugh as she stomped out. 

They were alone again and he said, “So…you do that a lot? Fuck and run?”

Snake looked taken aback but he shook his head, looking away. 

“You…I don’t GET you. I thought I did, but…maybe I shouldn’t even want to.” 

He looked up again and Roadblock said, “I came to tell you something, but now that I’m here it just seems stupid and useless to even bother. Just leave me alone, okay? I can’t…I don’t want to see your face.”

Snake looked away, almost running out of the room and he closed his eyes the tears he’d held back for so long finally escaping. He had no idea what he’d do when he got back but he needed to never be around the man again, not if he could help it and he knew Jaye would be able to make it happen. There was no way he’d leave GI Joe but he couldn’t even look at Snake in his gear without thinking of him sitting with his kids at a tea party or teaching the girls sword fighting in his backyard. 

His chest hurt and he hated feeling so helpless in face of something so harmless like emotion.

There was a knock at his door and he called out, “Go away,” but it opened anyway, Storm Shadow entering the room. 

“Fuck off,” he growled, trying to stand. 

Storm leaned against the door and smirked, “You’re not that special after all.”

Roadblock saw he had several bruises on his face and a fresh cut on the edge of his chin from a sword. 

“What happened to you?” he asked, though he could guess the answer. 

Storm pressed a hand to his face and his glare deepened as he stared at the wall. “Snake Eyes’s wrath is something I had forgotten about.” 

He sat up, wincing, “What’d you do to piss him off?” 

“Touched something that belonged to him,” he said simply, and Roadblock looked at the other man in surprise. 

“No, I don’t,” he whispered, grabbing the rag that Snake had left and pressing it to his cheek. 

Storm moved away from the door and came to kneel at his side, bowing his head. “I…I have come to express regret for my actions,” he whispered. 

Roadblock blinked, surprised. “You’re saying sorry for beating me up?”

Storm looked up and said, “The act was out of anger at Snake Eyes, I should not have hurt you.”

His eyes narrowed. “What’s the catch? There’s always a catch with you.”

Storm smiled. “I would see your smile.” 

Roadblock still glared. “No. I’m not…I don’t…you’re not my type.” 

His smile deepened. “I see,” he said, leaning forward so their faces were close enough again to kiss. Roadblock thought this time was more dangerous because he was feeling so lonely, so angry, that he almost wanted to give in. 

He said, “No,” and Storm stood, nodding once and leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead surprising him. 

“I can see your worth to him and it is infinite,” he said quietly before taking his leave. 

Roadblock touched his forehead with a smile and was just about to lay down again when the door opened with a smack and Snake stood in the doorway dressed in full gear. 

“I’m going to bed, what do you want?” 

He came in fast and turned his head to the door and back to Roadblock multiple times before he understood. 

“He was apologizing, that’s all.” 

Snake’s hand came to the hilt of his sword and he was surprised to see it was shaking. He pressed his head over Snake’s own and said, “I’m fine. He was being…nice.” 

The hand was practically vibrating now and he heard a snarl came from deep in Snake’s throat, reminding him of the moan he hadn’t realized the man could make and he said, “You’re jealous of Storm Shadow? Seriously? You think I open my legs to anyone with a sword?”

Snake’s hand calmed and he let it go, laying down slowly and wincing when his cheek hit the pillow. 

“I’m not a whore for ninjas or anything,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing deeply, “At least not all of them.” 

The last thing he saw when he fell asleep was Snake kneeling at the side of his bed, his head bowed. 

When he woke it was morning again and Snake wasn’t there but Jaye was holding a bowl of soup and a cup of water which he ate heartily and drank almost too quickly. His head was only down a dull ache and he could sit up without fainting so he said, “Give me a few hours?” and she sighed. 

“You’re both so stupid,” she said. 

He sighed. “Don’t, okay. Just…just don’t.”

She stood and came to sit at the edge of his bed again, grabbing his hand. “Do you know what I saw when I came in here this morning, Marvin? Snake Eyes, sitting by your bed holding your hand. I couldn’t see his face because he had the helmet thing on but his hand was shaking. He didn’t even realize I was there till I coughed and he still didn’t leave until I told him to.” 

Roadblock looked at his hand and frowned, swallowing. “It doesn’t mean anything. He left, he doesn’t…he doesn’t care about…”

Jaye laughed. “Seriously? REALLY? You do know he went at Storm again this morning? Practically cut off his hand while they sparred? You really think he doesn’t care about you? The man practically worships the ground you walk on!” 

He felt his face flush and said, “He left, okay? He left. Even if he cares, he’s not, he doesn’t…”

She sighed, patting his hand again. “Whatever you say, Block. We’re leaving today, with or without him right?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“And when you go home and tell those little girls that Snake is never coming back can you honestly tell me you’ll be okay with that?”

The ache was back again and he said thickly, “I have to be. For my kids, for…for myself, I…I can’t be this weak, not about this.”

Jaye closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out before opening them again. 

“Heaven save me from stupid men,” she muttered, leaving him alone. 

He got himself ready and packed up whatever meager supplies he had, heading out into the hallway. He could feel the eyes on him as he walked but saw no one until he was in the main practice room, seeing the Master getting the students ready to spar. 

Something made him stay, leaning against the back wall and when Snake appeared all the students’ eyes were on him and when he began sparring with another man easily besting him the Master called out, “STOP,” and he did. 

Roadblock looked away and his eyes caught Storm Shadow off to his left, the other man looking at him once and holding his left hand before quickly looking away almost frightened at being seen. 

When he looked up again Snake was attacking a wooden board with his hands, hitting every part and never missing. He didn’t stop, continuing on until the Master said, “SNAKE EYES,” and he stopped, his chest heaving. 

Suddenly Snake froze and his head whipped around and for a second he saw no mask but the face he knew too well looking back at him. He could almost see the other man’s eyes widen and when Snake left the room he followed him down the hall until Snake stopped, turning slowly. 

“What’s wrong?” Roadblock asked, concerned. 

He couldn’t leave Snake like this, crazily lashing out in anger. 

Snake’s chest was heaving and he looked away. 

“Take off that stupid mask,” he growled and Snake shook his head. 

Roadblock came at him then and he swallowed, realizing how close they were, chests almost pressed against each other. He almost moaned but bit his tongue once and asked, “You’re not safe here?”

Snake shook his head and grabbed his hand, tracing, NOT and then WANT into his palm. 

He frowned. “What? You don’t want to?”

Snake shook his head again and traced YOU. 

He swallowed and whispered, “I don’t want to see your face. I said that.” 

Snake nodded once and let go of his hand, making him almost cry at the loss. 

“And my word is law?”

Snake moved to escape and he grabbed his hand tightly. “I want to see your face. Please.”

Snake took his hand back and removed his mask and helmet, exposing his face again. When he saw the dark circles under his eyes and the bruise on his chin Roadblock gasped. “Who the hell hit you?” 

Snake smirked. 

“Storm Shadow,” he guessed. 

The smile darkened and Roadblock swallowed, “He’s not…he wants me.” 

Snake shook his head and grabbed on to Roadblock’s arm hard, almost painfully. They were close again, Snake’s breath on his neck and he whispered, “I don’t want him. You know that, right?”

Snake let go, nodding once and when he asked, “You’re staying?” Snake nodded again and it felt like he’d swallowed needles. 

“We’re leaving soon,” he said, almost begging, “I…I came all this way,” he said simply.

Snake stepped back and looked pained, his eyes never leaving Roadblock’s own. 

“I’ll see you later,” he said softly, turning and almost running down the hallway. When he got to his room he closed the door, leaning and banging his head against it hard. 

It took all of a minute for him to realize he wasn’t alone. 

Storm Shadow sat on his bed, holding his sword. 

“Seriously? Do you have a death wish?”

Storm smiled, setting his sword down and walking slowly to him, stopping when they were an inch apart. 

“Apparently. Though not like Snake Eyes, I am not going to waste an opportunity.” 

He pushed his lips down onto Roadblock’s and he pushed him back, shouting, “What the hell? I told you I don’t want you!”

Storm snarled, pushing him against the door and his breath was heavy when he hissed, “I said that did not matter, feelings are not of import to me,” trying to shove his hand down the front of Roadblock’s pants. 

He hit him in the face and Storm laughed, attacking with full force and knocking Roadblock into the far wall, hitting the back of his head hard enough his vision blurred. He felt deft hands at his belt and he kicked out, only to have his vision go blurry as a loud growl erupted in the room and when he woke again in his bed but not alone. 

Snake was asleep at his side, one hand on his sword and the other Roadblock saw was holding his own. 

Storm Shadow was nowhere to be found, but there was a lot of blood on Snake’s hands and on the floor. 

He leaned in close and pressed his lips to the back of Snake’s neck, making the other man stir and pull closer, turning to open his eyes. 

They stared at each other for what felt like forever when he whispered, “I love you,” and Snake’s eyes widened, “Okay? I just wanted to say that,” he finished, blushing before leaving the bed not looking back.

Snake didn’t follow and he didn’t think he would. 

Jaye didn’t want to leave at night but he couldn’t stay, so they left without Snake like he should have known they would. She didn’t ask about the new bruises on him and he didn’t say a word even as he couldn’t help but notice Storm Shadow was missing along with Snake to see them off. 

It took days to get home and when he did he was exhausted, not surprised to find out the girls had all but abandoned their swords and army men being quieter than his mother had ever seen them be.

“You were gone a long time,” his mother said, pouring him a cup of coffee when he came in. 

“Almost two weeks,” he mumbled, sipping it. 

She said, “The girls missed you, asked everyday where you’d gone.” 

He looked at her. “You said nothing about Snake.”

She nodded. “I didn’t want to get their hopes up…or mine. Marvin…” 

He put up his hand. “Don’t, Ma. It’s over, I’m fine. Just…don’t mention him again.”

His mom nodded once and came around the table, throwing her arms around him tightly. 

“My baby,” she whispered, kissing his cheek. 

Roadblock closed his eyes and sighed. 

“I’m okay, Ma. I’m a big boy. I’ve been dumped before.” 

She let go and smiled at him. “You’ve only been in love three times, baby, and this is the first time you’ve been told no. So I am allowed to worry all I want, all right?”

He smiled, nodding once and kissing her forehead. “Gonna crash,” he mumbled, dragging his feet down the hall. 

When he opened his bedroom door he paused, smiling. His babies were asleep in his bed, heads smashed into his pillow. He climbed in between them and they crawled close, hugging him tightly as they continued to sleep. It took a few minutes before he was asleep as well. 

He woke to the sound of his daughters talking. 

“Daddy would never leave us, Maddy. He loves us.” 

“Everyone goes. Mommy left, Snake left, Daddy has to go all the time and he might…”

He opened his eyes and said, “No, Madeline. Not ever.”

His daughter frowned, her chin wobbling. She hugged him and he felt tears on his shirt. 

“I’m always gonna come home, baby. Always.”

Maria launched herself at him too and they cried some before pulling back and kissing his cheek. 

“Did you catch the bad guys?” Maria asked, wiping her face and sniffling. 

He swallowed. “No. Not this time. I was…going to get someone, to bring them home.”

Madeline frowned. “Did you?”

He shook his head. “No.”

They both hugged him again and he carried them on his shoulders to the kitchen where they ate a late lunch which was pizza that his mom had ordered. He watched his mother laugh with his babies, watched the girls giggle back and thought maybe he’d be okay. 

He didn’t need anything more than this. 

Two days later he walked into GI Joe and thought he could continue like he had been, everything was still okay. He went right to Jaye’s office and stopped when he saw the look on her face. 

“What?”

She swallowed and said, “Sit down.” 

Roadblock shook his head. “Tell me.”

She closed her eyes and let out a breath before announcing, “Snake Eyes is missing.” 

He smiled. “What? He was at the dojo when we left, it’s only been two days.”

“He followed us home,” she said, surprising him. 

“What?” he growled. 

Jaye swallowed again and said, “I…I saw him, following, and I didn’t…I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure why he was but when we got off the plane and he was there, I…I thought he’d come see you. I was sure of it but…he hasn’t checked in and I…” 

The pain in his chest was heavy and he said, “He’s Snake Eyes. He’s doesn’t always…” 

Jaye grabbed his hand. “He always checks in. Every day. At least…well except for when he was with you. Otherwise he’s always on time. And…there’s more.”

He sat down then and said, “The cartel.”

She nodded and leaned over to tap a key on her computer. 

“You got him? You’re sure?” 

“Oh yeah, it’s him. He put up a good fight but I caught him out on the street, practically wide open. Didn’t stand a chance.” 

“The boss will be pleased.”

He felt like throwing up, swallowing back bile. “When was that?”

“Last night. Look, Marvin…” 

He slammed his fist on her desk. “FUCK!” 

“We have a team ready, we…I know you want to go, but you’re compromised. If your emotions get a hold of you, it could mean your life or his, you can’t….” 

He pressed his fists into his eyes and growled, practically vibrating with anger. 

“I have to.”

“I’m not letting you.”

He growled, grabbing her arms and pulling her in close to whisper, “If it was Flint, would you stay behind?” 

She looked pained, her eyes filled with tears. “No. No. You bastard.”

Roadblock stood up, kissing her forehead before almost running out of the office. He headed right for the control room and saw the team suiting up, heading for his gear. 

He had a job to do.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

“This is him, boss,” came a gruff voice, waking him after blacking out for what must be the tenth time in less than eighteen hours. 

He was tied to a chair, his hands and feet bound together and his gear was gone exposing his face and chest to his captors. He hasn’t had his gear on since an hour after they’d taken him, stupidly stalking too close to the Alvarez estate. While part of him that had wanted to follow Roadblock home after they’d gotten off the plane, he’d instead to the Alvarez estate to end this once and for all and he’d been captured because his mind had been everywhere but the mission at hand. 

It still was. 

His vision was blurry and everything ached so when the boss, Frederiko Alvarez himself, walked into the warehouse grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up he actually winced for the first time making the older man smile. 

“You’re uglier than I thought, eh Snake Eyes? My boys have had a good time with you so far, my friend haven’t they?” he hissed, pulling on the back of Snake’s hair roughly with his other hand, “Now it’s MY turn.” 

He didn’t look away, vision was blurring again and he closed his eyes as he pictured the honorable death he would be given tonight.

That’s when he heard the yelling, causing Frederiko to let go of him and yell out, “What the hell was that? Carlos, call them!” 

Carlos, Snake’s main torturer and the one man he would make sure he killed before he died other than Frederiko himself, sounded panicked. “Eh, Petey what’s going on down there?” 

He heard a muffled answer coming from a speaker phone maybe, he wasn’t sure and then, “We got ‘em boss! Big fucker, killed Rico and Kevin and Craig but we fucking got the fucker.” 

Snake closed his eyes, knowing it had to be someone from GI Joe coming to his rescue and the thought that one of his men was going to die because of his carelessness was enough for him to try to get out of this. 

He blinked, trying to clear his vision and it somewhat helped, though when the door opened and he saw who his rescuer was he moaned, causing all the other men in the room to look at him. 

“Well, that’s…interesting,” Frederiko snickered, “Looks like Snake here knows our new friend.” 

It was Roadblock, and he didn’t look much better than Snake felt. 

Two men dragged him in and when he was brought in front of Frederiko the man smiled at Snake before lifting Roadblock’s chin to meet his eyes. “And who might you be?” 

Roadblock swallowed and said simply, “Let him go.” 

All the other men laughed and Snake struggled at his bonds for the first time, making them look his way again. 

“Boss, look at Snake Eyes boss!” Carlos practically yelled. 

Frederiko looked at him, and Snake met his eyes hatefully. “Ah….ah….so our new friend and Snake Eyes are…more than friends eh? This your fuck buddy, my friend? You let him plow you into the ground while you squeal, maricon (faggot)!? Huh?”

Roadblock laughed, spitting at the floor and making Frederiko look at him again. “No. That would be me.”

Frederiko hit him hard, the rings on his hand causing a dark streak of blood to cut down his cheek and he said, “Carlos, shoot this ugly fuck while Snake watches.”

“I said, let him go. I’ll stay, you can do whatever you want with me. Look at him,” Roadblock said, looking at Snake for the first time, “Look at his face. It will hurt him more to have me here than keeping him will and you KNOW it.”

Frederiko looked at Snake, who tried to suppress his reaction to meeting Roadblock’s eyes but knew he’d failed when the older man walked towards him and said, “That right, boy? You killed my brother, I should kill your boyfriend there, maybe cut him into little pieces and send him to that dirty pit you work in?”

Snake growled, lashing and pulling on his restraints as hard as possible. 

“LOOK AT THAT BOYS! FINALLY GOT A REACTION OUT OF HIM!” Frederiko laughed, and a chorus of laughter followed from his men. 

“Snake, they let you out you go home. You take care of them for me, you hear me? Protect them. Promise me,” Roadblock said, and Snake was shaking harder with each word he said, “They need you.”

Snake felt tears on his face and Frederiko slapped him, “Cut him loose, then take him out to the back and shoot him.”

Roadblock said, “NO! Take me! I said…”

Frederiko turned his back to Snake as one of his men came over to cut his restraints, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna kill you too! You think I’m gonna let the fucker who killed my brother get away from me again!? I’m…”

As soon as the knife came close to his restraints he was free, the damage he’d been doing to his restraints had been more than enough before but the thought of Roadblock in triggered a reaction so fast he couldn’t even function beyond death for the next several minutes, cutting down the men in his path with his hands easily snapping necks and grabbing guns shooting through the ones in his way. 

He grabbed a knife from one and used it for the others, a blur of movement until a voice called out, “I’LL KILL HIM!” causing his attention to focus. 

Frederiko had Roadblock who didn’t even look scared at the gun pointed to his head his eyes ablaze as they met and the only thought in Snake’s head was that he needed to be closer. 

He threw the knife across the room, hitting Frederiko right between the eyes. 

The man dropped to the ground and Roadblock stretched, sighing and grumbling, “I’m gonna have a sore ass neck tomorrow, shit, what took you so long?” 

Snake came at him, grabbing the front of his uniform and crashing their mouths together, cutting off any more words and it wasn’t like he needed them anyway as they collided with the wall. 

The taste was like coming home, the answering moans coming from the man against him spurring him deeper, his hands coming up under Roadblock’s shirt before he paused, pulling back and catching his breath. 

He didn’t have the right to take what he didn’t deserve. It had been too long and he’d forgotten, the emotions too strong and he felt sick with his selfishness as he looked down, swallowing. 

“I…I missed you too,” Roadblock whispered roughly, making him look up and smile. 

Snake watched the other man reach out to touch and he grabbed the offered hand tracing STUPID on Roadblock’s palm making the other man laugh.

“You would’ve done the same,” he said simply, shrugging and pulling his hand back and mumbling, “Let’s find the others.” 

The found the rest of the team, there were three out of the seven left. He didn’t recognize any of them. 

“Let’s go home,” Roadblock said. 

He didn’t say a thing, just nodding once and following them to the van.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

The minute they stepped foot past the doorway Snake froze, not moving. 

They’d both tried to put off any medical checks but Jaye had insisted, which was why there were several bandages on Snake’s arms though he didn’t really need them, and Roadblock had a butterfly bandage on his cheek but nothing else. Neither of them had touched since their heated kiss in the warehouse, Roadblock’s fingers almost tingling with the want to be closer but he wasn’t going to take what wasn’t given. 

Snake was acting like the Snake remembered the night he’d arrived three weeks ago: fearful, detached, and uncomfortable. 

“I…um…it’s okay, Snake. You’re ho-safe.” 

Snake looked at him, shaking his head and stepping inside. 

Roadblock sighed, rubbing his head and looking away. “I’m tired, man, I just…have this crisis in the morning after I’ve slept? Please? The girls are staying with my ma, I’m exhausted and I just need a night off from all of this, okay?”

He felt a hand touch his own and his palm was turned up as Snake traced the words LEFT and YOU across it. 

“Yeah,” he said, his voice thick, “You did.”

HURT YOU

Roadblock looked down at his hand and nodded once, “Yeah…I…obviously I forgive you though, I came to your rescue didn’t I?” he whispered, looking up. 

Snake shook his head, squeezing his hand as he traced STUPID making him laugh. 

Roadblock smiled sadly, nodding. “Yeah, I kinda am. I’m gonna…” he turned his head behind them, “I…g’night,” the words were rushed and he was ashamed of he nearly ran away, shutting the door and leaning back against it his breath coming out staggered and eyes closed.

He knew he should’ve just sent Snake Eyes home, not here, he didn’t belong here no matter how much it felt like he did. 

Roadblock moved away from the door and shuffled himself towards the bed, pulling the dirty torn shirt over his head and stepping out of his pants, groaning as he fell onto the mattress.

He fell asleep almost immediately. 

When he woke it was to the feel of someone lying in bed with him, pressed up against his back so tightly he didn’t want to move. 

“Snake,” he whispered, his voice thick from sleep. 

There was a breath against his back and he shivered, feeling Snake’s fingers brush the word SAFE against his skin. 

Roadblock swallowed and said, “You’re always safe with me, you know that. Even if...if you’re not…” 

Snake pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and he closed his eyes. 

NEED 

YOU 

SAFE 

The words took almost too long to be traced and he was almost sick with relief, anger, and hurt all at once as he rolled over and back, pressing the blonde down into the mattress and staring down at a surprised Snake Eyes who he could barely see but for a sliver of moonlight through the window. 

“You…you….goddamnitt Snake I…when for one SECOND have I NOT been SAFE? When has even a MOMENT with you been…” 

Snake’s lips pressed thin and he looked away. 

“Storm Shadow,” Roadblock said simply, and the blonde’s eyes were on his again the anger there almost chillingly homicidal, “He…you protected me…I…that wasn’t…I’m not a damsel in distress, I’m a man just as you are I…fuck,” he hissed, the past weeks of anger, worry, and the pain of rejection tumbling down onto him all at once, “I fucking love you, all right? Love IS pain, you stupid idiot it…” 

Snake crushed their mouths together, hands on the back of Roadblock’s head tightly bringing them closer and he groaned, tasting blood and alcohol wanting nothing but closerclosercloser. 

They kissed and fumbled with Snake’s clothes in the darkness, breaking for him to take off his shirt, both laughing as he tried to kick off his pants as they tangled at the ankles. Forever before both were naked and grinding against each other as both moaned in tandem. 

“Fuck, fuck, love you, love you, fuck,” Roadblock panted, leaning down to kiss quick pressing their foreheads together as Snake grabbed his dick and began pumping, “Fuck, stop, I want you to…” 

Snake let go and he fumbled for the light, turning on the bedside lamp and wrenching open the drawer on the table beneath it grabbing lube and throwing it which Snake caught easily, his breath heaving as he stared. 

Roadblock swallowed and laid back, waiting with a smile. When Snake still hadn’t moved he frowned, sitting up. “What’s wrong?” 

Snake kissed him softly, almost shy, as he whispered, “You,” his voice a strangled crack that hurt to hear. 

Roadblock’s eyes widened and he pressed a hand to the blonde’s chest. “You…your…I didn’t…your voice.” 

Snake smiled, touching his throat and shaking his head, “M…” he looked pained and Roadblock shook his head, “Snake, if it hurts don’t—“ 

Snake’s eyes were wet as he pressed the bottle of lube into Roadblock’s hand, his eyes pleading with him to understand. 

“Me? You…you’re sure?” 

He nodded and switched their positions quickly, laying onto his back and spreading his legs enticingly making Roadblock lick his lips. He catalogued the body before him taking it in, seeing every scar and every muscle aching to taste and touch. “Jesus, “he laughed nervously, “You…” 

“M—Marvin,” the name was torn from Snake’s lips, a plea and a whisper all at once, making Roadblock let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. 

Roadblock put a hand to his mouth and shook his head, “Stop. I…” 

Snake pushed his hand away and took a finger, tracing the words I LOVE YOU across Roadblock’s chest making him actually shake at the declaration. He took the hand and kissed it quick before whispering, “Damn straight,” making Snake smile as he popped the cap of the lube spreading it generously over his fingers before pressing inside of the man before him. 

Snake tensed, his eyes closing as he grunted at the intrusion as he moved it around. 

“Okay?” Roadblock asked, concerned. 

He nodded, opening his eyes and pressing back against the finger which made him add a second moving them quicker and reveling in the surprise on the ninja’s face. 

“So beautiful, “he whispered, leaning in to kiss Snake as he pushed in further, waiting impatiently till he found the other man’s prostate judging by the jerk of Snake’s hips as he bit into Roadblock’s mouth. 

Two turned to three and when he pulled his mouth back they locked eyes and Snake nodded over and over again biting his own lip as he reached out to touch himself but Roadblock batted his hands away. 

“Not yet, just…” 

He spread lube over his own aching dick, knowing he wouldn’t last long but anticipating this more than he’d ever thought possible and when he lifted Snake’s legs to his shoulders and asked, “Okay?” pressing inside the other man pulled on his shoulders pulling him in without preamble the deep burn having to hurt but he groaned loud and bit his lip realizing he could wake the girls. 

“Fuck, so tight, you…fuck, impatient are we?” he laughed, kissing the inside of Snake’s leg and when the other man nodded, pulling him closer he obliged, moving slowly at first but with increased readiness, “Snake, Snake….you…god you’re so beautiful, “he kissed the blonde’s skin and gasped when Snake pulled him close enough to kiss bending him nearly in half as they licked into each other’s mouths, Roadblock’s shallow thrusting suddenly a frenzied fucking that had him grabbing Snake’s dick and jerking as he rammed into him pulling their mouths apart and crying out as Snake came against his stomach. 

“Snake, so tight…so…fuck…love you…so…” he came with a groan, spilling into him and falling down onto Snake’s chest letting go of his legs easily settling around them as he pulled out and laid down, catching his breath and trying not to black out from the most intense orgasm he’d ever experienced before. 

Snake curled against him, kissing his neck sticky against him but he didn’t care. 

“We need to do that every chance we get,” he laughed, turning to look at Snake who was staring at him intensely. 

“What is it?” 

Snake kissed him softly, shaking his head before laying on him. 

“We need to clean up,” he said breathlessly, already feeling his eyes closing. 

The last thing he remembered was Snake’s smile and the feeling of arms around him as he passed out. 

When he woke he was alone, completely clean of any evidence he’d had sex and when he sat up, he saw the floor had been cleared as well. 

“Son of a bitch, “ he growled, standing up and throwing open the door as he stomped down the hall looking for a sign hoping he was wrong. 

When he got to the kitchen he froze, the sight in front of him a complete surprise. 

Snake was standing in front of the toaster, bagel slices in his hand and he turned, surprised but smiling at Roadblock. 

“I…um….” 

Snake shook his head, putting the bread into the toaster and walking over to give him a morning kiss, looking down with a heated stare at what Roadblock realized was his completely naked body. He blushed. “Um…I was just…” 

Snake took his hand tracing STAY against his palm which made him smile. 

“Yes, please.” 

Snake leaned in to kiss him again just as the door opened behind them and they heard DADDY YOU’RE NAKED!” come from his daughter’s mouth. 

Snake swallowed laughter against his lips and he grabbed a dishtowel to cover his dick, hiding behind the other man who was wearing a tshirt and a pair of Roadblock’s own boxers. 

Maddy and Maria stood with wide eyes as did his mother who was full out laughing at them both a hand over her mouth. 

“Daddy kissed Snake!” Maria said, her eyes lighting up, “Daddy kissed Snake!” 

Maddy giggled and said, “Daddy I can see your…” 

Snake did laugh then, the short painful noise making even him laugh though he whispered, “See if I give you a blowjob today,” which made Snake clutch at him, his eyes wide as Roadblock blushed. 

“Okay, okay, girls, I think your father needs to get dressed, as does Mister Snake, so let’s…” his mother tried to say but Maria cut her off. 

“Daddy why are you and Mister Snake kissing naked in the kitchen?” 

He turned to look at Snake. “Uh…”

“Are you in love? Are you gonna get married?” she asked, frowning. 

“Honey, we…” 

“Yes, baby, they’re in love,” his mother finished for him, looking at Roadblock once before looking back at both of his daughters, “And maybe they’ll get married or maybe not, but your daddy is happy and you love Mister Snake am I right?” 

Both Madeline and Maria nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah! Now Mister Snake can stay!” Maria said, trying to run over to him but his mother caught her arm. 

“No, baby let’s let them get clothes on first,” she said with a smirk. 

“Uh…yeah,” he said quickly, grabbing Snake’s arm and yanking him down the hallway slamming the door and locking it behind them. 

Snake grabbed at him, pressing their mouths together slowly at first and then they couldn’t stop, banging into the dresser and growling into each other’s mouths until he pulled back with a groan, “Stop, stop, the girls,” he moaned, and Snake stepped back with a sigh. 

Snake smiled, going to his dresser and finding clothes to change while he did the same. 

When they were properly dressed both men stared at the door like it was going to assault them. 

“Hell is answering questions from enthusiastic six year olds,” he mumbled, and Snake grabbed his hand squeezing it. 

Roadblock pulled and they were kissing again, the taste a drug he was quickly becoming unable to resist. 

When there was a knock at the door and his mother called out, “It’s been almost twenty minutes boys, I ain’t gonna answer them myself,” he groaned, panting against Snake when they pulled apart. 

“Only twelve more years until they turn eighteen,” he whispered, and Snake’s chest shook with silent laughter. 

They stepped out into the hallway and down the hall holding hands finding the twins sitting on the couch waiting impatiently. When they saw the two of them each man had their own twin rush at them, asking a million questions before Roadblock said, “Snake is staying, we’re in love, and yes we’re gonna be kissing a lot,” making his daughters giggle. 

Both girls came at Snake then, hugging him around the middle and when he looked at Roadblock the other man swallowed around a lump in his throat. 

“You are, right? Staying?”

Snake nodded once, putting a hand to Roadblock’s cheek and pressing their mouths together softly. They hugged each other while the girls hugged Snake’s legs and when Roadblock felt Snake a word on his back he closed his eyes when he realized what it was. 

FAMILY.


End file.
